Tensions grow between Washingtonville mayor, trustees

Wednesday

Nov 21, 2012 at 2:00 AM

WASHINGTONVILLE — Village trustees who have grown deeply distrustful of Mayor Kevin Hudson vowed to keep challenging him, despite a growing frustration that there was little they could likely do to rein him in.

BY JOHN SULLIVAN

WASHINGTONVILLE — Village trustees who have grown deeply distrustful of Mayor Kevin Hudson vowed to keep challenging him, despite a growing frustration that there was little they could likely do to rein him in.

"We don't know what we can do," said Trustee Jacqueline Polman of the mayor's recent violation of a village stop work order on the Village Hall's renovations.

Hudson continues to bypass the Village Board majority in the decisionmaking for the village. His announcement to bring on a volunteer to help the village clerk devolved into a spectacle at a Tuesday board meeting, as the trustees tabled the decision, triggering charges of disrespect by the mayor.

Referring to allegations that the volunteer is a relative of one of Hudson's political friends, Joe Galante, a village trustee, shouted as the meeting was adjourned, "Why don't you tell us these things."

Hudson declined to take questions from a reporter.

Tension at the meeting followed a week in which the mayor flagrantly violated a village stop work order on Village Hall renovations, setting up a showdown with his critics on the board.

Hudson ordered Chris Martino, the village superintendent of public works, to restart the work on Veterans Day in defiance of a July board decision prohibiting work on the building until the mayor submits architectural plans and details of the costs.

Hudson has ignored those demands, as well as numerous other board resolutions aimed at gaining more transparency from his administration. The mayor has claimed that requirements such as architectural designs and bidding for materials do not apply to the $600,000 Village Hall project, as the work is being performed in-house mostly by Martino, a longtime friend of Hudson.

Martino continues to get paid hourly, even though he was recently hired to a salaried position. It is unclear if the superintendent will get paid overtime for the work on Veterans Day.

If the mayor continues to ignore the will of the board majority, the trustees have no other option than suing to stop him, said Trustee Jacqueline Polman, who said she would prefer to avoid such a lawsuit.

"Who wants to keep doing that?" she said, referring to the numerous other legal bills the administration has already amounted.